Link's Awakening DX
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''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX'' is a 1998
action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...
developed by
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for the
Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
. The game is a colorized version of the 1993
Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
title '' The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'', in which protagonist Link must fight monsters, explore dungeons and solve puzzles to escape from Koholint Island. The ''DX'' version of ''Link's Awakening'' features gameplay additions including a color-themed dungeon and support for the
Game Boy Printer The Game Boy Printer, known as the in Japan, is a thermal printer accessory released by Nintendo in 1998 which ceased production in early 2003. The Game Boy Printer is compatible with all the Game Boy systems except the Game Boy Micro and is d ...
. Upon release, ''Link's Awakening DX'' was critically acclaimed, with reviewers commending the game on the strengths of the original title and welcoming the addition of color graphics and new features, although noting the additions were largely insubstantial compared to the original game. The ''DX'' version of ''Link's Awakening'' has retrospectively been cited by critics as one of the best games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color systems. It was subsequently re-released on the
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via the
Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
and the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
via the
Nintendo Classics Nintendo Classics is a line of Video game console emulator, emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to games for ...
service.


Gameplay

''Link's Awakening DX'' is an
action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...
played in a
top-down perspective A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions ...
in which players guide Link, stranded on Koholint Island, through a quest to collect the eight Instruments of the Sirens to awaken the Wind Fish and leave the island. Players progress the game by exploring the
open world In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the Gamer, player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay. Notable games in this category include ''The Legend of Zelda (video game ...
island and completing a series of dungeons, requiring the completion of puzzles and defeating enemies, to acquire new items, such as a hookshot, that provide access to new and previously inaccessible parts of the island. ''Link's Awakening DX'' is a version of the game that features fully colorised graphics, although it is
backward compatible In telecommunications and computing, backward compatibility (or backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, software, real-world product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with inpu ...
in monochrome with the original
Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
. The game includes features compatible with the
Game Boy Printer The Game Boy Printer, known as the in Japan, is a thermal printer accessory released by Nintendo in 1998 which ceased production in early 2003. The Game Boy Printer is compatible with all the Game Boy systems except the Game Boy Micro and is d ...
accessory through the addition of a photo album. The player also can visit an in-game Camera Shop, meeting a photographer who will appear to take pictures of Link over the course of twelve events in the game. Once taken, these pictures can be viewed by the player in the photo album or used to print out stickers using the Game Boy Printer connected via a
Game Link Cable The also known as ''Video Link'' in early versions, is an accessory for the Game Boy line of handheld consoles. Introduced in 1989 alongside the original Game Boy, it was revised over four generations with varying degrees of backward compatibil ...
. An additional hidden dungeon, named the Color Dungeon, is also included in the game, featuring color-based puzzles including color-coded enemies and switches. Completion of the dungeon allows the player to select one of two items: the Red Tunic, which increases the player's attack power, and the Blue Tunic, which decreases the damage taken by the player. ''Link's Awakening DX'' also modifies the hints given by statues in dungeons throughout the game to provide additional guidance to the player.


Development and release

Development of ''Link's Awakening DX'' was led by director Yohinori Tsuchiyama and undertaken by the Nintendo Research & Development 2 team, a small team dedicated to hardware peripherals and software. The game had minimal supervision from
Takashi Tezuka is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. He is a senior officer in Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development division and is an Executive Officer at Nintendo itself. Tezuka was the right-hand man to Shigeru Miyamoto an ...
, the director of the 1993 game, who was involved at the time as a supervisor for '' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''. For the Color Dungeon, Yuichi Ozaki created a musical piece based on
Koji Kondo is a Japanese composer and senior executive at the video game company Nintendo. He is best known for his contributions for the '' Super Mario'' and ''The Legend of Zelda'' series, with his ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme being the first piece of mu ...
's dungeon theme from the original ''The Legend of Zelda''. An emulated version of ''Link's Awakening DX'' was released on the
Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
on 7 June 2011. The game received minor updates to make use of the 3DS hardware, including the extension of the game's display to the larger 3DS screen, analog controls with the 3DS Circle Pad, and the inclusion of options to suspend, save and restore gameplay at any time. In July 2013, ''Link's Awakening DX'' was offered as one of several Virtual Console games which "elite status" members of the North America
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could redeem as a free gift. Another emulated version was released as part of the
Nintendo Classics Nintendo Classics is a line of Video game console emulator, emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to games for ...
service in February 2023. In December 2023, a fan-made port of ''Link's Awakening DX'' was released for PC, containing widescreen, zoom and high-framerate support, allowing the game to be played without transitions between screens. The port was shortly taken down following release after a takedown notice was issued by Nintendo on the basis of
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.


Reception

''Link's Awakening DX'' was critically acclaimed upon release, with many reviewers recommending the game on the basis of the merits of the original title and its continuing appeal both for new and returning players. Critics generally agreed that the game's additions were welcomed but minimal in substance, with ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' finding it to be not too different from the original, and Colin Williamson of ''Allgame'' describing the game as a "paint job" and "essentially the same game". Reviewers praised the colorisation of the game. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' described the graphics as "sharp" and adding "vibrant life" to the game. ''Total Game Boy'' stated that the game's color was a major improvement on the graphics of the original game and helped objects and enemies in the environment "stand out tremendously". Although noting its graphics were "primitive" by the standards of 1999, Jes Bickham of ''Planet Game Boy'' considered the graphics to also be "more sharply defined" and "smoother-scrolling" compared to the original. ''RPGFan'' commended the "fair graphical improvement" of the game, but considered the colorization to be "shallow" and lacking in detail. The addition of the Color Dungeon received mixed reception. Describing it as "lame" and a "total disappointment", ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' considered the dungeon to be too short, easy to complete, and limited in puzzle variety. Paul Davies of ''Computer & Video Games'' considered the new dungeon to be "not so amazing". ''RPGFan'' critiqued the decision to confine color-coded objects such as switches to the Color Dungeon.


Retrospective reception

Many critics have retrospectively named ''Link's Awakening DX'' as one of the best games released for the Game Boy system, including ''Game Boy Official Magazine'', ''Pocket Games'', ''GamePro'', and ''Nintendo Power''. The game has also been identified as one of the best Game Boy Color games by ''Digital Trends'', ''GameSpot'', and ''TheGamer''. Luke Albiges of ''Retro Gamer'' considered the game's addition of a "vivid" color pallette and new features to "breathe new life" into the game, highlighting the Color Dungeon for "expanding upon what was possible" in the original title. Gavin Lane of ''Nintendo Life'' described the game as "bursting with colour" and commended the pixel sprites, but felt the game did not add any "unmissable" additions to the original title. Stuart Gipp, also for ''Nintendo Life'', considered ''DX'' to be a downgrade from the original due to its "unenjoyable extra dungeon" and "garish lick of paint that doesn't do the visuals any favors". Several critics also provided favorable reviews of ''Link's Awakening DX'' upon its release on the
Nintendo 3DS eShop The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as t ...
. ''Nintendo Power'' describing the game as one of the best games available on the eShop. Jacob Crites of ''Nintendo Life'' found the game's port to the 3DS to "play better" than its predecessors, citing the "more fluid" analog controls and the inclusion of restore points. Similarly, Lucas M. Thomas of ''IGN'' generally praised the game, but considered the upscaled graphics to not be as sharp as the original and lamented the omission of the Game Boy Printer features. Abraham Ashton Liu of ''RPGFan'' similarly commended the value and quality of the game's addition to the eShop and the additional functionality of a save state compared to the "unwieldy and archaic" design of the original save system.


Notes


References


External links

* (archived) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, The 1998 video games Game Boy Color games Nintendo Research & Development 2 games Nintendo Classics games Single-player video games Link's Awakening DX Top-down video games Video games developed in Japan Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS Video games about dreams Video games about nightmares Video game remasters Video games scored by Kazumi Totaka Video games set on fictional islands Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto